Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Social Change

While we no longer enroll students in this program, we continue to offer our popular in-person MA in International Policy and Development. This is a great option for prospective students considering the MPA in Social Change as there are many overlapping courses and faculty members, and our graduates have similar career outcomes.

If you need more flexibility, we also offer an online MPA in Sustainability, which allows you to study part-time on an asynchronous schedule and continue to work.

For Current Students

Alumni Network

Our large and influential alumni network in California, Washington, D.C., and other centers of local and global development is eager to help you prepare for your next steps. Our Middlebury in DC office provides the entire Middlebury community with a wealth of resources. Furthermore, our annual Career Exploration Week in the nation’s capital gives you facilitated and direct access to D.C.-based employers and our alumni who help us to plan the event. 

Careers

Our graduates are often hired before they complete their program, leveraging real-world projects from their classes, internships, and practica to showcase their relevant professional experience. They are thriving in careers at organizations like the United Nations, Catholic Relief Services, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office. 

Explore careers in public administration

Curriculum

Explore your curriculum

Faculty: Professors and Practitioners

While other graduate schools rely on teaching assistants, our students have direct access to our faculty, who combine academic expertise with years of professional experience in major international organizations, including UNCHR (the UN Refugee Agency), USAID, the World Bank, and the U.S. State Department.

Your professors are committed to your success and, together with your career and academic advisor, will become your mentors and colleagues throughout your career. 

Meet your faculty

Program Duration

You can earn your degree in 12 consecutive months, 16 months (three semesters with a summer break), or over four semesters:

• If you are starting the program in the spring, the shortest option available to you is 16 months.
• If you are starting the program in the fall and want to accelerate your return to the workforce and you have professional experience (relevant to your field of interest), consider the 12-month option, which includes a January term and summer semester.
• If you need to gain work experience while you earn your degree, consider the 16-month option, which takes longer but leaves the January term and/or summer open for internships or other experiential learning opportunities.
• If you want to craft a niche career, you can add a specialization or a second master’s degree in our carefully designed joint master’s degrees. This will take up to four semesters for you to complete.
• If you would prefer or need to spend more time in your program for any reason, we encourage you to add a specialization or pursue a joint master’s degree program for a four-semester program.  

You only need to finalize a decision on which path to pursue after you have enrolled—your career and academic advisor will help you make this choice.

Practicum Options

Your final semester practicum can be completed remotely allowing you to transition to your preferred location before you graduate and gain professional experience in a context that closely aligns with your career goals.